Failed NCLEX 11 times.

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Hi all.

Just want to share my experince. I graduated in 2011 and have taken NCLEX for 11 times since then and still failed. I've tried Saunders, hogan, and also took Kaplan course but still failed. I feel like a failure. This is all I want to do is to become a nurse that's why I keep trying. I want to retake it again but then this time application process required school transcript and the school want me to take another Kaplan course. I'm devastated. I can't afford the money for another course and the exam. I don't know what to do. I got all the resources from books to cd from previous courses. I'm tired of lying to people that I work in the hospital and feel ashamed of myself of where I am today. Still struggling to pass the NCLEX.

How was it in person I went to Mark section and they were very helpful .zx let me know if you need help!!

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Mtng said:
Hi all.

Just want to share my experince. I graduated in 2011 and have taken nclex for 11 times since then and still failed. I've tried saunders, hogan, and also took Kaplan course but still failed. I feel like a failure. This is all I want to do is to become a nurse that's why I keep trying. I want to retake it again but then this time application process required school transcript and the school want me to take another Kaplan course. I'm devastated. I can't afford the money for another course and the exam. I don't know what to do. I got all the resources from books to cd from previous courses. I'm tired of lying to people that I work in the hospital and feel ashamed of myself of where I am today. Still struggling to pass the nclex.

Taking NCLEX-RN is unimaginable. I wish I had some cheerful, you-can-do it advice but I just can't do that as that is incredibly dishonest. Frankly, not everyone is cut out to be a nurse just like not everyone is cut out to be a physician, lawyer, engineer, plumber, or chef. That's okay. The key is finding a career path suited to your interests and abilities. I think it is time to cut your losses and find a new career path.

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It was great

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Yayaone said:
It was great

Was it like the recordings? Did you test yet?

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Yes it was and yes I have!!! I used uworld and Mark!!

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Thank you.

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Ok thanks!!

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It sounds like someone needs to cut their losses and go do something else in life. I guarantee you wouldn't want someone like that as your nurse.

Also, to jump on to the bandwagon, as it were, of those responding to the Go With God/Godly Calling/It's His Will For You rigamarole: It seems pretty clear to me that if God is communicating anything to you it is that you should not be a nurse. Nobody ever even remotely entertains the 'no' side of this, do they? Of course, I'm not so certain God works that way, anyway.

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You must be fairly intelligent if you 1) got into nursing school, 2) got through nursing school to the point where you are taking the NCLEX and 3) I'm assuming that your grades during school and your evaluations on your clinicals were at least adequate. So, to me the glaring question is: Is there something about taking tests or maybe this test in particular that frightens you? Do you have test anxiety? I can imagine that the more you take it the more nervous you are that you'll fail at it again, which may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The next time you take it try to forget that you've failed it 11 times before and treat it like its the first time you've taken it. Otherwise, talk to someone about this issue and try to get to the bottom of why you keep failing the test. Like I said, I cant believe it's because you're not smart enough since you've gotten this far in your career goals. Best of luck to you!

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Maybe give yourself two more times and if you don't pass it then perhaps cut your losses. There's no shame in doing something else for a while and trying the nursing thing later. Maybe it's not the right time for you to be a nurse. I'm 46 and will start nursing school this fall and honestly I know i would have been smart enough 20-25 years ago, but I don't think I would have had the confidence in myself that i do now. So, try not to let this be a life or death situation. Don't listen to those who are trying to bring you down. Since someone mentioned God in an earlier post let me say that God absolutely has a plan for your life. I can't say whether or not he wants you to be a nurse or not, but I do know that he would not want you to feel like a failure. God bless you!

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lorias said:
You must be fairly intelligent if you 1) got into nursing school, 2) got through nursing school to the point where you are taking the NCLEX and 3) I'm assuming that your grades during school and your evaluations on your clinicals were at least adequate.

Actually this is not a good set of assumptions. Not all schools are created equal, there are so many schools that have popped up in the last decade that accept anyone with a pulse, have poor NCLEX passing rates, so being able to get into and stay in such a program only results in a student who can't pass the NCLEX. People have reported being A students in these programs but in reality they would be C or D students in other programs, or have failed outright prior to finishing. The schools make money by keeping these people enrolled, by the time the NCLEX failures are a matter of record they still have time to be open while on probation. Then the schools close and the students that have graduated are out of luck as are the students who were enrolled when the program goes belly up.

Statistically a person's chance of passing goes down with each NCLEX attempt, and significantly so. At this point the chance of passing is probably akin to being hit by an asteroid, if there even ARE statistics on a person who has passed on their 12th or later attempt.

Going to a bad school that didn't prepare the graduate well for taking the NCLEX shouldn't be what stops success; people can go to bad programs and then prepare on their own. People here have done that very thing. But if the grad can't manage to pass the basic competency exam after a dozen tries maybe the answer isn't to study more, it's to try out something else. The OP hasn't gotten "this far" in her career goals, she hasn't gotten anywhere yet so going in a new direction might be a really good idea, and one to seriously consider for sanity's sake.

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I went to nursing school with a student/friend who was at the top of her class, aced every exam, came prepared to clinical's every week and truly enjoyed preparing to become a nurse. Our school had a good pass rate and the curriculum was intense (allowed one fail/drop in the entire program and must score 100% on dosage calc in the beginning of each semester to even continue in the program, or again you were out). It has been a few years since graduating and I was told to this day that she still hasn't passed her boards, and unfortunately severing all ties with those of us that were close to her. When I graduated, I took a job as a PCT in an ICU/PCU unit and when I was preparing to sit for my boards the ICU nurses would help study with me and they themselves couldn't get a lot of those questions correct because nursing is always evolving. Those nurses stated themselves if they were to take that exam again they would fail. There have been comments made that there should be a limit of how many times a person should sit for the boards. If legislature were to change and made it that in order to renew our license we would need to sit for the NCLEX every several years, as I know some states do for Physician Assistants to stay licensed within their scope of practice; would we pass on the first, second or even third try? I don't think any of us would be that confident to want to think about challenging the NCLEX every few years and would probably appreciate those states that allow you to test more than three times. I wonder if that would make us less of a nurse or more inadequate if we were to continually fail?

I don't know the person that originally posted this thread, but what I do know is that there is a disconnect somewhere in continually taking this test and failing. Schooling may play a great part. This poster may be great at medication administration but failed when it comes to delegation or even prioritization. We don't know. My advise would be to seriously rethink this career path, research a school or a program that would prepare you as closely to what the board is testing for, and understand the seriousness and dedication in becoming a nurse that is required of you.

Good Luck

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